Mix a wet brine by setting water volume and salt (and optional sugar) percentages.
Usage Tip
Rinse and pat dry after brining, and reduce added salt in the recipe.
What Is a Brine?
A brine is a salt solution that seasons meat and helps it hold moisture during cooking, so it comes out juicier and more evenly flavoured. Brining is unusually mathematical for a cooking technique: the strength is a percentage of salt by weight of the water, and getting it right is the difference between a perfect holiday turkey and an inedibly salty one. That is exactly what the calculator above is for.
A 5% brine means 50 g of salt per litre of water. Most poultry and pork sit in the 5–6% range; fish prefers a lighter, faster 3–5%.
Wet Brine vs Dry Brine
A wet brine submerges the meat in salted water (and often sugar and aromatics). It adds moisture and is forgiving for lean cuts like turkey and chicken breast, but needs fridge space and a container. A dry brine rubs salt directly on the surface – typically about 1% of the meat’s weight, or roughly ¾ tsp of table salt per pound – and draws moisture in over time. Dry brining gives crispier skin and takes less space; wet brining adds the most juiciness. This calculator handles the wet-brine maths.
Brining by Meat
Turkey
The classic brining candidate. Use a 5–6% brine and 12–24 hours in the fridge. A 5–6 kg bird needs roughly 6–8 L of brine to submerge. Do not brine a kosher, self-basting or pre-brined turkey – it is already salted.
Chicken
Whole chicken: 5–6% for 4–12 hours. Breasts or thighs: a 5% brine for 1–2 hours is plenty and transforms a weeknight dinner.
Pork
Chops at 5–6% for 2–4 hours; a loin or shoulder roast can take 6–24 hours. Pork loves a little sugar in the brine to balance the salt.
Fish & Seafood
Go lighter and faster: 3–5% for just 15–30 minutes. Fish flesh is delicate and absorbs salt quickly, so over-brining turns it mushy and salty. Great before smoking or grilling.
Brining Times Guide
| Food | Brine strength | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Chicken breast | 5% | 1–2 hrs |
| Whole chicken | 5–6% | 4–12 hrs |
| Turkey | 5–6% | 12–24 hrs |
| Pork chops | 5–6% | 2–4 hrs |
| Pork roast | 5–6% | 6–24 hrs |
| Fish fillet | 3–5% | 15–30 min |
| Shrimp | 3–5% | 15–30 min |
Brine Concentration Chart
| Brine strength | Salt per litre | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| 3% | 30 g | Fish, quick brines |
| 5% | 50 g | Chicken, pork, all-rounder |
| 8% | 80 g | Strong / short brines |
| 10% | 100 g | Equilibrium & cure-style (use briefly) |
Salt Types & Conversion
Here is the catch that ruins more brines than any other: a brine percentage is by weight, but salt is usually measured by volume, and salts differ wildly in density. A tablespoon of table salt weighs about twice as much as a tablespoon of flaky Diamond Crystal kosher. Always weigh salt if you can; if you measure by volume, use the right figure for your salt:
| Salt | Per teaspoon | Per tablespoon |
|---|---|---|
| Table salt | ~6 g | ~18 g |
| Morton kosher | ~4.8 g | ~14 g |
| Diamond Crystal kosher | ~2.8 g | ~8.5 g |
| Fine sea salt | ~5 g | ~15 g |
Sugar Brine Guide
Sugar is optional but popular for pork and poultry. It balances the salt, aids browning and adds a subtle sweetness. A common ratio is half to equal the salt by weight – for a 6% salt brine, add 3–6% sugar. Sugar does not penetrate the meat much; its main job is on the surface for colour and flavour.
Aromatics
Build flavour with whole spices and aromatics steeped in the brine: black peppercorns, bay leaves, garlic, thyme, rosemary, citrus peel, juniper, star anise, or a splash of cider or maple. Simmer them briefly in part of the water to extract flavour, then cool completely before adding the meat.
Food Safety & Refrigeration
Common Brining Mistakes
| Mistake | Fix |
|---|---|
| Measuring salt by volume, wrong type | Weigh it, or use the right density above. |
| Brining too long | Stick to the time chart; lean to the short end. |
| Brining at room temperature | Keep it below 4°C the whole time. |
| Brining pre-salted meat | Skip the brine for kosher/enhanced cuts. |
| Not adjusting for water volume | Scale salt to the actual water used to submerge. |
Frequently Asked Questions
How much salt for a 5% brine?
50 g of salt per litre of water. For 2 litres, that is 100 g. The calculator above gives the exact grams and the equivalent spoons for your salt type.
What is the best brine strength?
5–6% suits most chicken, turkey and pork. Use 3–5% for fish, and 8–10% only for short or cure-style brines.
Does the salt type matter?
Not by weight – all salt is the same sodium chloride. It matters a lot by volume: table salt is far denser than flaky kosher, so a tablespoon weighs roughly twice as much.
How long should I brine a turkey?
12–24 hours in a 5–6% brine, kept refrigerated. Longer is not better – it turns the meat spongy.
Can I add sugar?
Yes – commonly half to equal the salt by weight. It balances flavour and helps browning. Set a sugar percentage in the calculator above.
Printable Brine Chart
The charts above print cleanly – use your browser print command. Navigation and related-link buttons are hidden automatically.